Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes says he's sore but OK after hurting ankle in win over Bucs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chiefs backmost Patrick Mahomes landed awkwardly connected his near ankle while throwing a tying touchdown walk against Tampa Bay connected Monday night, and conscionable astir everyone successful Arrowhead Stadium seemed to clasp their activity arsenic he laic connected nan ground.

They didn't consciousness a full batch amended erstwhile trainers began to thief him to nan Kansas City sideline.

But aft nan two-time MVP was checked out, and nan Chiefs' aesculapian unit declared him fresh to continue, Mahomes was correct backmost connected nan field. And aft starring nan Chiefs to a go-ahead touchdown successful regulation, which nan Buccaneers matched successful nan last infinitesimal to unit overtime, Mahomes led Kansas City connected nan decisive touchdown march to flight pinch the 30-24 victory.

“Pat's a reliable guy,” said Chiefs receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who had 2 TD catches. “Obviously he's nan leader of this offense, nan leader of this team. When he went down, everybody was astir him, seeing if he was each right.”

Mahomes admitted he will beryllium sore Tuesday, and nan betterment will request to beryllium swift pinch nan Chiefs playing again Sunday, erstwhile nan Broncos travel to town. But it appeared that he escaped a superior wounded for illustration nan 1 he had during nan 2022 playoffs.

“I deliberation nan playoffs 1 a mates of years agone was really I sewage tackled. It sewage stuck and it wounded a batch more,” he said. “Obviously I'll get a small swelling, a short week, but spell successful location and return attraction of it and beryllium fresh to play adjacent week.”

Kansas City was trailing 17-10 and facing third-and-goal astatine nan Buccaneers 6 erstwhile Mahomes rolled to his right. As a defender rushed toward him, Mahomes planted his near ft awkwardly while flipping a walk to Samaje Perine unsocial successful nan extremity zone.

Mahomes, who has a history of ankle injuries, laic look down successful nan writer earlier rolling complete and grabbing astatine nan ankle. Trainers came each nan measurement crossed nan section to talk to him connected nan Tampa Bay sideline, and they helped him halfway crossed nan section earlier Mahomes shook them disconnected and walked nan remainder of nan measurement connected his own.

“I wasn't judge precisely wherever he was going to beryllium pinch it,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who had instructed backup Carson Wentz to statesman warming up. “He mightiness person nan loosest ankles successful America. It's ridiculous really he tin travel backmost from those things.”

Mahomes vanished pinch 291 yards passing and 3 touchdowns and did not propulsion a prime for nan first clip this season, helping Kansas City go only nan sixth reigning Super Bowl champion to commencement 8-0 nan pursuing season.

Earlier successful nan game, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman looked arsenic if he besides sustained a superior wounded erstwhile he landed difficult connected his enarthrosis aft a agelong punt return. But he was backmost to return a punt precocious successful nan 2nd 4th and caught an important walk to person a 3rd down arsenic nan Chiefs were trying to necktie nan crippled 17-all early successful nan fourth.

Hardman's return was bully news for a squad already missing Marquise Brown, who wounded his enarthrosis successful nan preseason and could miss nan twelvemonth pursuing surgery, and chap receiver Rashee Rice, who underwent season-ending room connected his knee.

JuJu Smith-Schuster has been dealing pinch a hamstring wounded and besides was inactive.

Those injuries were a large logic why nan Chiefs precocious traded a conditional fifth-round draught prime to nan Titans for Hopkins, a three-time All-Pro who made his debut for Kansas City successful past week's triumph complete nan Raiders.

Hopkins had a memorable first location crippled astatine Arrowhead Stadium.

He made a spectacular contested drawback connected third-and-8 wrong nan Tampa Bay 5 precocious successful nan 2nd quarter, past caught a 1-yard TD walk from Mahomes and celebrated pinch nan creation made celebrated by nan movie “Remember nan Titans.” He added nan go-ahead touchdown drawback pinch 4:17 near successful nan crippled and vanished pinch 8 catches for 86 yards connected nan night.

“He's truthful bully astatine winning 1-on-1,” Mahomes said, “so to beryllium capable to person him down successful nan reddish zone, third-down situations — he does a bully occupation of filling retired and uncovering those windows. You springiness him a chance down nan section and he makes a play.”

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